Princess High
by katididaloo
Summary: Long ago and far away, the simple village of hardworking Lima in the land of Ohio was shocked to learn that the Prince would find his future bride in their humble hamlet.  Could that future bride be none other than Rachel Berry? Noah may not like that.
1. Chapter 1

Hi! I'm Katie, thank you for clicking on the link and giving this story a shot. It's based loosely off the book "Princess Academy" by Shannon Hale. It's based in a time in the past, I would guess 15th or 16th Century, perhaps? It's a bit fantastical, so please suspend your disbelief at the door. Also, _completely alternate universe_.

I really hope that you enjoy this. It's my first story since I was eight and I wrote a story about chicken soup for my second grade teacher. I got a B- on it. I hope this is a tad bit better. Its my little love present to the Puckleberry bubble. I wanted to give you something nice because...well, you're awesome.

Thanks! Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Princess High<strong>

**Part One**

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><p>Long ago and far away, in a small mountain province that went by the name of Lima, there lived a small, tight-knit community of hard working mountain folk. They were a brawny, strapping, strong folk, and toiled all day in a stone quarry, shaping precious marble blocks for a living. Even the youngest child and the oldest woman would work in the quarry, breaking stone to sell, stone that would put food on their tables and clothes on their backs.<p>

All of Lima toiled day in and day out in some way, except for one. Rachel Berry. She woke every morning before the earliest slivers of light broke through the night sky. Each time she would rush to set breakfast for her father, Hiram, and his partner, Leroy before dawn, in hopes to rush from the house before them, walking into the quarry and beginning to work before they even left the house.

Every day, one of the men would catch her, and she would be relegated to caring for a flock of sheep and a gaggle of goats. How she longed to go into the quarry and be of some use to her family..to her fellow citizens of Lima! How she longed so dearly to lift a chisel, or even carry the water to the workers! How she longed so very dearly to be apart of their working songs. For everyone in the quarry sang all day through, using it as a form of communication in the quarry. When spoken word could not warn of a vulnerable stone, a song could.

Rachel sang all the day through as she tended the village animals. She longed to blend her voices with the rest of Lima. But she knew she could be of no use. She was more than small. In comparison with the other boys and girls of 16 in Lima, she was positively tiny. No more than a speck compared to Finn Hudson, a boy that sometimes seemed taller than most of the one floor stone houses in Lima. Even Kurt, a boy who held no joy at working in the quarry was stronger and more capable. Brittany and Santana...even Tina and Mercedes were far more capable than she, as they went to the quarry day in and day out, their voices lifted high in song, in companionship, in service to their people.

"All I have is you," Rachel spat bitterly at the sheep who were aimlessly walking in circles and the goats who were endlessly chewing on clumps of grass.

"They say that the first sign of craziness is talking to yourself."

Rachel jumped from her fallen log that had been her seat, her cheeks most certainly flaming a bright red as her eyes met a very familiar set of twinkling hazel orbs. A shaft of sunlight filtered through the evergreen trees and hit those eyes, glinting them with green for the briefest of moments. Rachel felt a tightness coil in her stomach as she gaped at the boy. Tall, but not absurdly so like Finn. His face beautiful, but not in a coquettish way like Kurt's. He was by far the most attractive young man in Lima, and he was acutely aware of that fact at all times.

"You had better be careful, because they also say that craziness is catching," Rachel warned, immediately wincing at her lame attempt at socially engaging with Noah Puckerman. It had once been so easy. They had been the best of friends, after all, from a very young age. But one day, Noah's body started shooting straight up into the sky, while Rachel stayed relatively close to the ground. Hours of swinging chisels and pushing marble had turned his body into something that resembled the very rock their town prized, chiseled and hard and perfect. With every day that he grew more impossibly attractive, Rachel found it harder to speak to him, though not for lack of trying.

Noah gestured to the rope in his hands and yanked a little, and soon the Puckerman's goat, Essie came into view. He rolled his eyes and said,

"My sis wanted to bring him into the quarry. Craziness _is_ catching," he chuckled.

Rachel bit back a sigh. So little 12 year old Rebecca Puckerman was going to be in the quarry full time, with the rest of Lima. The youngest Puckerman had kept Rachel company half days, and the two had sang together freely while they tended the goats and sheep. Now she would be alone in her uselessness full time.

"Remember the time we had convinced Finn that girls were highly contagious with itchy cootie disease?" Noah reminisced as he let Essie free to go and chew grass with the other goats. He watched Rachel carefully as a slow, genuine smile lit up her face.

"It had been remarkably easy," Rachel admitted. "I think Kurt still believes it to be true."

"I think Kurt has always believed that girls aren't quite as fun as boys," Noah said delicately. "You know...like your dads."

Rachel smiled at him bigger and said, "Oh dear, the secret of my father's relationship with Leroy is out of the bag."

"After Sue Sylvester's affair with that yeti, nothing can shock little ole Lima anymore," Noah insisted. "None of us could survive without Leroy's medicines he manages to mix up, so I don't think any one will be shunning the house of Berry any time soon."

"True," Rachel nodded. Leroy's skill with curing the sick and her father's own skills in the quarry made the Berry household valuable. Everyone could even overlook a small, useless thing such as Rachel.

"Excited for the last trade before winter?" Noah pondered. "I wager we try to get as much as possible this time. The stones are perfect this year. And there are plenty of them. Maybe we can get enough food to actually last the winter, this year."

"I promise to do my absolute best," Rachel nodded. When it came time to wrangling with the traders who offered food and necessities in exchange for perfect blocks of marble, she had some skill. She even did the trading for the Puckerman household, since Noah's mother, sister and even Noah himself were more likely to take a swing at the condescending traders rather than actually barter.

The sound of trumpets blasting through the air startled the sheep and goats, sending the little forest glen that Rachel and Noah had been sitting comfortably into a frenzy of activity. Once Rachel had all the goats tethers in hand, she watched as Noah chased and wrestled the last of the sheep back into their pen. He looked at her with a grin, wiping his hands clean on his pants as another blast of trumpets filled the air. The goats went wild again, and he dove to help her hold onto the tethers, but only wound up tangled with her, leather straps winding around the both of them as the goats danced about in their excitement. Soon Noah and Rachel were pressed against each other comfortably, Rachel's hands around his waist, his chin resting on the top of her head.

"This is comfy, Princess," Noah chuckled.

Rachel couldn't help the giggle, but another blast of trumpets filled the air, and she couldn't help but feel that they were now slightly impatient and definitely originating in their town square. She reluctantly wriggled away and together they managed to split the tethers, anchoring a few goats to each tree so they couldn't strangle themselves.

Noah held out his hand to her and explained with a strange sort of quietness, "We better make a run for it. Who knows what could be waiting for us?"

Rachel took his hand and tried to remind herself that she and Noah used to do this sort of thing all the time. It was actually quite a natural thing to join hands while walking in Lima. Centuries of stone digging had made their terrain all too rocky, and almost dangerous to walk across. Falling became less likely when you were anchored to another human being. However, past the age of twelve, boys and girls rarely held hands. Unless it meant _something_.

She barely had time to think of what it all meant as Noah pulled her along, his long quick strides forcing her to sprint at his side. The rest of the town had slowly assembled in the square, where an impressive looking carriage was waiting, the trumpeters ready to make another obnoxious call.

"You blow into that thing one more time, and it'll become a part of you!" Mother Puckerman shouted irately. She actually smirked at the arrival of her son, who was dragging little Rachel Berry along, both rosy cheeked and disheveled. "We're all here...say what you have to say carriage man!"

The door of the carriage creaked open and a small, exquisitely dressed young man popped out. His hair was dark and curly, his face handsome, young and nearly exquisite. The sun shone brightly and his light brown, almost orange colored eyes squinted against it.

"The land of Ohio, the territory of Lima...the great King Evans wishes to make an announcement to you, its...heartiest of peoples," the young man proclaimed.

"Oh yeah? Who're you?" Father Hummel demanded suspiciously.

"I am Blaine Anderson," Blaine answered back courteously, smiling in the general direction of the question. "And I have an announcement. From King Evans."

"So you said, on with it then," Mother Puckerman prodded.

"Oh, yes," Blaine smiled. "In one year's time, it has been proclaimed by the priests that Prince Samuel, son of King Evans, will chose his bride. The priests have foretold that his bride will be chosen amongst the young maidens of Lima!"

A mirthful murmur ran through the crowd, and Blaine puzzled at the sound of it. His strong brow knitted together in confused amusement as he took in the reaction. He had expected a cheer at the very least.

"Who gets to marry you then, you wee little leprauchan?" a voice called out.

Rachel knew it had been Santana, her biting humor ever on display, royalty or royal officials present or not.

"Since, we expect that the ladies of Lima are not quite prepared to ascend the throne, in two days time, we will open up a school, a school where girls the age of twelve to eighteen are required to attend, in order to properly learn how to behave as a princess," Blaine announced, this caused the amusement in the square to skid to a halt. Every ear was listening to Blaine now. "The school will be at the base of the mountain, half a days walk. The girls will board there for the next year and flourish under the tutelage of Tutor Bieste. Every one of you has the chance to become a Princess. The school is mandatory and the parents of the girls who do not arrive for school in two days will be punished to the most severe extent of the law. I shall see you in two days time. Good day, Lima!"

Blaine hopped back into the carriage, leaving stunned and shell-shocked villagers behind him. Rachel's mouth was gaping as murmurs of realization shot through the crowd. Every girl age twelve to eighteen would spend one year at a school miles away. There would not be enough workers to keep the quarry alive. The girls would be ripped from their families. One of the girls would be whisked away at the end of the year and made Princess of their country.

Rachel felt a tight, squeezing pressure on her hand, it was almost painful. She looked down in her haze of confusion and realized that Noah had never let go of her hand and was now squeezing it with all of his might. She blushed a deeper crimson and looked up at him with eyes that were begging to shed tears. She wouldn't let them though.

"I'll protect Rebecca, Noah. No harm will come to your sister," Rachel swore.

Noah looked down at her with a glint of gratitude in his hazel eyes. It disappeared quickly and was replaced with something unidentifiable as his gaze flickered over every inch of her face. He squeezed her hand tighter, if that were possible.

"My sister isn't the only one I'm worried about, Princess."

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><p>Part Two, Coming soon! Thanks for reading!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Happy Friday evening to you all! Thanks so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting and alerting. It's very much appreciated. And now, part Two!

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><p><strong>Princess High<strong>

**Part Two**

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><p>Two days flittered by in the blink of an eye. The traders came and went the next day, and even Rachel had a hard time getting a decent amount of supplies for the perfect marble blocks that the village of Lima had toiled over the last few months. The traders had argued that the girls would be gone for the year, and therefore, supplies weren't needed in great quantities for the winter. As it was, the village would be lucky to make it through the winter.<p>

"Noah, you must go hunting. Take my room in my house and build hutches from my bed, put as many rabbits in as you can," Rachel ordered as the girls began to assemble with their families in the square. "Although I hate the idea of the dear creatures being sacrificed, its important to keep everyone's strength this winter, also, know that Leroy will need plenty of pine cones before the first snow fall of winter to brew his medicines for winter sickness."

"Rachel," Noah sighed.

"No, please, Noah, its important. The village must take care. I want to have a home to come back to," Rachel said softly.

"What if you don't come back? What if Prince Sammy boy wants to take you for his bride?" Noah glumly wondered, although the questions didn't quite seem like questions. They seemed more like horrid prophecies coming from Noah's lips.

"He won't, don't be ridiculous, I'm not pretty, or smart or strong," Rachel waved away his concern. "Now the goats and the sheep, Noah. Try not to let people slaughter the sheep. The wool is important for the freezing cold winter. And the goats aren't much meat, remember that they are more important alive than dead. And make sure you have enough hay and grass..."

"You are smart," Noah disputed. "And you are strong in your own way."

"You don't need to try to make me feel better, Noah, I'm just stating facts," Rachel insisted.

"And you're pretty—-no," Noah shook his head. "You're beautiful. And your voice, if the Prince hears you sing, then even that huge idiot will know that you're worth a hundred Brittany's or Santana's."

"You seem to have enjoyed Brittany and Santana's company plenty in the past," Rachel accused softly, although she couldn't help but feel her cheeks burn a brilliant pink at the Noah's assertion that she was beautiful fall from his lips. She looked around at the girls assembling and said, "Besides, with Tina and Mercedes' exotic beauty, Brittany and Santana's worldly charms, and even Quinn...she's mysterious and beautiful and comes from the city itself...there will be plenty for the Prince too look at besides me."

"You're an idiot," Noah whispered.

"You're a jerk!" Rachel hissed automatically. "I'm going to go say goodbye to my fathers. Please remember what I told you, Noah. I'll take good care of Rebecca."

Rachel went to her father, and Leroy, the man she also often called her father and let them embrace her and give her last minute advice. Leroy kissed her forehead and wished her luck and then Hiram said something that shook Rachel to her very core.

"Go and be the best you can be, Rachel. Make us proud."

Rachel swallowed thickly and a million emotions swirled within her as she stole a glance back at Noah, who had his arms full of his little sister, who he was hugging to within an inch of her life. _Make us proud_. Her father's wanted her to better herself. She could be of little use to them in the quarry, little use to Lima at all. But perhaps...if she were princess, if she were to become Queen one day...she could be of great use to the quarry...to Lima. She could change their whole existence. She could make it so that the whole town didn't have to work so very hard for so very little. She could be their salvation.

She held her chin up as the girls assembled in front of the soldiers who would be bringing them to their destination. She reached for Rebecca Puckerman's hand with her left hand and began walking steadily along the path, not looking back once. She would make them proud.

A little over half a day's walk found them standing in front of the largest building any of the girls, save for perhaps Quinn, had ever seen. It was a large stone house, with floors of marble, looking a little shabby due to decades of isolation. The two soldiers who had ushered them to what was to be their new home walked straight into the building, one looking back, holding up a finger and actually smiling at the group of girls.

"Just one moment, ladies, we'll fetch Mistress Bieste for you."

_Bieste_. The name conjured unpleasant images. Terrifying monsters who would take little girls from their very beds in the village and rip them to shreds. Rachel heard the clicking of heels against hard marble and imagined them to sound very much like a monster coming for its prey. The door swung upon once more and there she was, their tutor. Shannon Bieste lived up to her name. She was just as tall as Noah, easily, perhaps even taller. Her shoulders were as broad and strong as any man or woman in the quarry. Her eyes were a steely blue and they squinted at the girls mercilessly, sizing them up. Her thin lips curled into what could best be described as a sneer.

"I see that I have my work cut out for me," Bieste fairly growled at the trembling group of girls. She turned on her heel and ordered, "Follow me!"

Rachel found her feet moving of their own accord, as if their tutor's words had been a powerful spell that her body and the bodies of her peers had no choice but to obey. Bieste walked through the room, pointing out doors that were closed and sealed with impressive looking locks.

"Those rooms are sealed, it would be impractical to house you in so many rooms, we would need another two houses to contain the wood it would take to heat them the winter," Bieste explained.

"Then where will we sleep?" Santana demanded.

"What is your name?"

The question blew through each girl like a blast of cold wind. Even Santana seemed momentarily cowed by it. She recovered quickly though and sent a defiant look Bieste's way.

"Santana, daughter of Lopez," she announced proudly.

"Santana, daughter of Lopez. You will follow my rules and you will become a young lady worthy of the title of Princess," Bieste said coolly. "Rule one. Never speak unless spoken too. Open naked curiosity is repulsive. This is your first offense, now that you are aware of the rule, your next offense will be appropriately punished."

Rachel bit the inside of her cheek and fought against a wince. Santana couldn't help what came out of her mouth. The beautiful daughter of Lopez had always been forthright and dangerously curious. She had never curbed her tongue in all of her 16 years. It probably wouldn't take long for all the girls see the next level of punishment demonstrated on Santana.

Everyone's focus shifted as a man no more than fifteen years older than Rachel herself hobbled down the hallway, his hands going out and reaching for the sides of the wall. He stumbled into one of the guards, who took the hobbling man's arm and led him to Coach Bieste's side.

"This is Schue," Bieste explained. "He is our caretaker."

"He's blind!" Santana scoffed. "How can he even take care of himself?"

"Young lady, you've been warned!" Bieste harshly shouted, causing Schue to jump slightly in alarm. Their tutor looked at the soldier who had smiled at the girls earlier and ordered, "Soldier Chang, the closet across from the living quarters will do well to remind Santana, daughter of Lopez that she should think before she opens her mouth like dead, gaping fish every five minutes!"

Rachel stepped forward, hoping to say something to stop Bieste from enforcing her punishment on Santana, who she knew for a fact was no fan of small spaces. The Lopez family had the biggest house in all of Lima, and yet as soon as the temperature became non-frigid, Santana would camp out underneath the stars every evening. Everyone could hear her nightmarish gasps for air and screams that came with being enclosed in a dark room. A closet would be unbearable.

Rachel felt a grip on her hand and looked to her left and saw Quinn who was shaking her head imperceptibly. Rachel pulled her hand away as if scalded. She stepped forward as bravely as she could and stood in front of Bieste, waiting to be addressed, her eyes trained on those steely blue eyes, demanding attention in a completely wordless manner.

"Your name, young lady?" Bieste asked gruffly.

"Rachel, daughter of Berry," Rachel said softly, trying to think of what to do next. She knew there was something physical she should be doing. She had seen Leroy do it once to a particularly impressive trader. She crossed her hand in front of her and bowed deeply. She looked back up, hoping to have obtained a reaction.

And Bieste laughed.

She _laughed_.

Rachel could feel her blush stinging her cheeks as she tried to hold her tongue and not say horrible things to the woman who would be their only authority figure for the next year. Instead Rachel held her head high and assumed that Bieste's laughter at her meant she had permission to speak.

"Please don't send Santana to the closet. I would be happy to go in her place," Rachel earnestly requested.

Bieste's laughter stopped abruptly. She looked at Rachel with definite surprise and then to Santana who was fairly shaking in her skin next to a reluctant looking Soldier Chang. Bieste pursed her lips into a grim line and honestly didn't know what she should do next. She felt a hand brush her wrist and looked to see Schuester smiling blindly at her in that soft, harmless way he had about him.

"Just this once," he whispered, his lips barely moving.

"There will be no closet today, but be warned, all of you, tomorrow I expect self-control and dignity from all of you," Bieste ordered. "You have one hour in your group quarters, then we will begin to try and see if you are all as ridiculously uncouth as Lopez and Berry. Soldiers? Lead them away. I don't want to see them for the next hour."

. . .

"You didn't have to do that!" Santana said harshly as soon as the soldiers had closed them into a long chamber, filled with twenty small beds that sat low to the cold marble floor. She looked around her and nodded, she might be able to sleep in there. She felt Brittany hold onto her hand and looked at the blonde girl with a small smile.

"Rachel might like the closets, she was just trying to be nice," Brittany insisted cheerfully. She yanked on Santana's hand and ordered in a sing song voice, "Let's have beds next to each other."

Santana allowed herself to be yanked by her best friend, but did pause to turn to Rachel and mouth a small thank you in her direction.

"That was either ridiculously selfless, or ridiculously stupid."

Rachel turned to her right and saw Quinn had appeared. The girl was an enigma. She had shown up in the spring, claiming to be orphaned and related to the Pierce family. She was a city girl, had grown up in the glamorous Columbus, the home of the Prince himself. She had been quite miserable in her grief for the last six months. And ever since Blaine Anderson had made the announcement in the town square, Quinn had seemed even more forlorn and distraught. She certainly didn't want to be here.

"I'd like to think a little of each," Quinn said softly, before making her getaway.

Rachel didn't know what to think herself. She walked quickly through the long, plain room and found the empty cot next to Rebecca Puckerman's bed. She was unsurprised when the young girl hopped out of her bed and instead, chose to cuddle next to Rachel, throwing her arms around Rachel with a surprising force, so like Noah in the way she expressed her emotions.

"Rachel?" Rebecca whispered.

"Yes?" Rachel whispered back.

"I miss Noah."

Rachel bit her lip and managed a nod as she felt the tears burning at her eyes, her throat constricting dangerously with emotion. She finally managed to whisper, "I miss Noah, too."

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><p>(Side note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY CASSPRINCESS(CAYLEE) YOU ARE THE BEST THAT EVER WAS, IS, OR WILL BE.<p> 


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